Protocol guiding border closures in the event they are "necessary" is a priority for Farrer MP Sussan Ley.
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Stories shared with the Albury-based Minister over three days in river towns have been "heartbreaking" and "unlike anything heard" in her public life.
"It's been heartbreaking," she said from Moama.
"What I'm determined to do is work hard with states, the Commonwealth and cross-border commissioners ... to put a protocol in place that says, if we do have to take the worst of all steps and close the border, this is when, how and what it will look like, so we cannot go through this again.
"For some people, this is the third border lockdown, and they're really shaken by it."
Ms Ley has written to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews about the impact, and rejected his justification the border closure was based on health advice.
"We live in a country without borders, and that's what Australians rely on," she said.
"The only health advice that matters is the Commonwealth health advice, and that advice has been very clear that this shutdown was not necessary.
"Barricading a state is not the best health outcome.
"There was a time when all the states agreed to take the approach that we recommend, that NSW has taken, which is the hot-spot approach.
"I'm sick of the border communities that I represent being in the firing line, and bearing the pain of a lockdown that makes no sense."
Premier Daniel Andrews was asked yesterday about tourism operators' concerns and whether a visitor-specific permit could be created.
"The declaration of green should deal with that, but if there's any confusion or things we need to do ... we're more than happy to look at that," he said.
"Would we think about further support for any of those businesses? We're always looking at sectors that have been hit really hard ... we wouldn't rule it out."
Ms Ley said there was a challenge in financial assistance being provided by the federal government because "the message that sends to Victoria is this was a valid lockdown".
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"When NSW closed its border, there were 700 cases a day in Victoria and nobody knew where they came from," she said.
"So, it's a huge difference between a few cases in Sydney.
"The Victorian government was saying, 'we think NSW might lose control of this', well, they didn't.
"Evidence is in now, NSW can manage it, and we need Victoria to do the same."
